Vented easy opening container



Sept. 20, 1966 F. J. STEC 3,273,745

VENTED EASY OPENING CONTAINER Filed July 1, 1964 INVENTC'R FREDERICK J.STEc ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent M 3,273,745 VENTED EASY OPENINGCONTAINER Frederick J. Stec, Oak Lawn, Ill., assignor to Continental CanCompany, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 1,1964, Ser. No. 379,481 Claims. (Cl. 220-54) This invention relates ingeneral to new and useful improvements in container construction, andmore particularly to a novel container of the easy opening type whereinin the opening of the container, the container is automatically firstvented before actual opening thereof takes place.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a novel can end whichhas a removable tear strip portion to which there is attached a pulltab, the can end further including a vent opening which is initiallysealed by the pull tab whereby when the pull tab is lifted to exert arupturing force on the tear strip, the can of which the can end is apart is automatically vented.

Another object of this invention is to provide in an easy opening can ofthe type having a removable tear strip, a novel pull tab which is formedof a resilient plastic material whereby it may be readily gripped, thepull tab having a connector at one end thereof which is permanentlysecured to the tear strip, the pull tab presenting a grip portion whichmay be readily gripped without any possibility of injury to the persongripping the pull tab due to relative slippage between ones fingers andthe pull tab.

Another object of this invention is to provide a metal can end having aremovable tear strip portion with a plastic pull tab, the pull tab beingprovided with a grip portion at one end thereof and at the opposite endwith a depending plug which is receivable in an opening in the tearstrip portion and which is permanently lockable to the tear stripportion whereby the pull tab may be utilized in tearing the tear stripportion from the can end.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel can end of theeasy opening type which includes a removable tear strip having securedthereto a pull tab, the pull tab being formed of plastic material andhaving a connector which is receivable in an opening in the tear stripportion, the connector being in the form of a plug having a taperedinner portion to facilitate the passage thereof through the tear stripopening, and the outer portion of the plug having an outwardly facingshoulder which is engageable beneath a flange defining the tear stripopening to permanently interlock the plug with the tear strip, the plugfurther being hollowed whereby internal pressures Within the can willexpand the plug and provide for a tighter seal between the plug and thecan end.

When liquids and other products are packaged under pressure in cans, theuse of easy opening can ends has presented slight problems. When thetear strip is being initially drawn from the can end, the pressurewithin the can cooperates with the force exerted on the tear strip toeffect an overtearing of the tear strip beyond the initial breakingthereof from the can end, thereby in some instances causing injury tothe person pening the can. In view of this, it is desirable to provide acan end which will automatically effect the venting thereof prior to therupture of the can end in the opening thereof by the removal of a tearstrip. It is, therefore, another object of this invention to provide anovel can end of the easy opening type which has a removable tear strip,the can end further having a vent opening spaced from the tear strip,and the tear strip having attached thereto a pull tab with a plug thatnormally closes the vent opening and which plug is withdrawn from thevent opening prior to 3,273,745 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 the applicationof a rupturing force on the can end around the tear strip.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claims and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a can having the topend thereof closed by meansof a can end formed in accordance with thisinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 andshows the can end in a partially opened position.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken alongthe line 33 of FIGURE 1 and shows the specific details of theconstruction of the can end including the plastic pull tab.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken along the line44 of FIGURE 3 and shows further the specific details of the plasticpull tab.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there isillustrated :a can which is generally referred to by the numeral 5. Thecan 5 includes a conventional can body 6 which has the upper end thereofclosed by a can end which is the subject of this invention, the can endbeing generally referred to by the numeral 7. The can end 7 is securedto the can body 6 in the conventional manner by means of a double seam8.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 in particular, it will be seen that the canend 7, as part of the double seam 8, includes a chuck wall 9.Immediately inwardly of the chuck wall 9, the can end 7 is provided withan inwardly directed shock absorbing bead 10. That portion of the canend 7 surrounded by the shock absorbing head 10 is generally describedas an end panel and is identified by the numeral 11.

In accordance with this invention, the end panel 11 is provided with aweakening line 12 which is preferably in the form of a score. Theweakening line 12 defines a tear strip 13 which is removable from theremainder of the end panel 11 for the purpose of defining a dispensingopening in the end panel 11. The weakening line 12 includes a generallyU-shaped portion 14 which is generally centered about the center of theend panel 11, as is best shown in FIGURE 2. The U-shaped portion 14 ofthe weakening line 12 defines a starting end 15 of the tear strip 13.

It is to be understood that in order to remove the tear strip 13, it isnecessary to first rupture the end panel 11 along the U-shaped portion14 of the weakening line 12. This must be accomplished by an upwardlydirected force on the starting end 15 of the tear strip. In accordancewith this invention, this force is applied to the tear strip 13 by meansof a pull tab which is generally referred to. by the numeral 16.

The pull tab 16 is formed of a suitable, inexpensive, resilient plasticand includes an elongated strap-like body portion 17 which is anchoredat one end to the tear strip 13 and is provided with a grip portion atthe opposite end. In order to facilitate the attachment of the pull tab16 to. the tear strip 13, adjacent the one end of the body 17 there isprovided a connector which is generally referred to by the numeral 18.The connector 18 is in the form of a plug which is hollow and has a bore20 therethrough.

The plug includes an upwardly flaring lower portion 21, an intermediateportion 22 of a maximum diameter and a smaller diameter upper portion23. The reduction in the diameter of the plug to define the upperportion 23 results in the formation of an upwardly facing shoulder 24.

The tear strip 13 has an opening 25 therethrough defined by an annularflange 26. The opening 25 is preferably disposed at the center of thecan end 7 and the annular flange 26 is inwardly directed. When the pulltab 16 is attached to the tear strip 13, the plug-like connector 18 isforced through the opening 25. This movement of the connector 18 throughthe opening 25 is facilitated by the small diameter of the lower end ofthe connector 18. The connector 18 is forced through the opening 25until the flange 26 passes over the large diameter intermediate portion22 and into the annular recess 23 behind the shoulder 24. After theconnector 18 has passed through the opening 25 in the above-describedmanner, the pull tab 16 becomes permanently interlocked 'with the tearstrip 13.

In accordance with this invention, it is proposed to automatically ventthe can before the rupture of the end panel 11 along the weakening line12 is initiated. In order to facilitate the venting of the can 5, theend panel 11 is provided with a vent opening 27. The vent opening 27 isdefined by an inwardly and reversely curved flange 28.

It is necessary that the vent opening 27 remain sealed until opening ofthe can 5 is desired. To this end the strap like body 17 of the pull tab16 is provided with a .depending Wedge shaped plug 29 in alignment withthe vent opening 27. The plug 29 passes through the opening 27 and iswedged therein to seal the same.

At this time it is pointed out that although the connector 18 and theplug 29 will sufficiently seal the openings and 27, respectively, in theend panel 11, this necessary sealing of the openings is assured byproviding adhesive 30 around the connector 18 and adhesive 31 around theplug 29 between the pull tab body 17 and the end panel 11.

The gripping and lifting of the pull tab 16 is facilitated by gripmeans, generally referred to by the numeral 32 on the end of thestrap-like body 17 remote from the connector 18. The grip means 32 is inthe form of a pair of offset transverse ribs 33 and 34 integrally formedwith the pull tab 16.

It is to be noted that the rib 33 is disposed along the underside of thepull tab 16. Since the rib 33 must rest on the end panel 11, it will beseen that the right end of the pull tab 16, as viewed in FIGURE 3, isslightly upwardly bowed, and thus spacing the terminal end portion 35 ofthe pull tab 16 sufiiciently above the end panel 11 to facilitate thegripping thereof.

When it is desired to open the can 5, it is merely necessary for one toengage his fingers beneath the end of the pull tab 16 remote from thetear strip 13 and to effect an upward lifting force on the terminal endof the pull tab body 17. After the pull tab 17 has been initiallylifted, the grip portion 32 may be readily gripped between two of onesfingers. In the opening of the can 5, the grip portion 32 is gripped andthe pull tab 16 is lifted upwardly away from the can end 7. As the pulltab 16 is elevated, the adhesive 31 is ruptured and the plug 29 ispulled out of the vent opening 28, thereby venting the pressurizedcontents of the can 5 to the atmosphere. Following this, whilecontinuously moving the pull tab 16 upwardly and towards the tear strip13, an upwardly directed force is exerted on the starting end 15 of thetear strip 13 through the pull tab 16 to effect the rupture of the endpanel 11 along the weakening line portion 14. Since the pressure withinthe can 5 has been vented at this time, it will be seen that no force isacting on the tear strip 13 except that applied thereto through the pulltab 16, and the tear strip 13 may be removed from the end panel 11without any possible danger of blowout.

It will be readily apparent that since the pull tab 16 is formed of aresilient deformable plastic, it may be easily gripped between onesfingers and the removal of the tear strip 13 may be effected without anypossibility whatsoever of one cutting his or her fingers through theresultant slippage of their fingers with respect to the pull tab.

Although only a prefered embodiment of the invention has beenspecifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understoodthat other modifications may be made in the construction of the can endWithin the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a container for packaging a liquid under pressure, a panel havingan integral removable portion defined by weakening lines formed in saidpanel and a vent opening aligned with said removable portion for firstventing the container and a pull tab for facilitating the removal ofsaid removable panel, said pull tab being formed of a resilient plasticand including an elongated strap-like body, a connect-or on said bodyadjacent one end permanently securing said pull tab to said removableportion, said body having at the other end thereof a grip portion, saidbody further having an intermediate depending plug projecting throughsaid panel opening and engaging said panel around said opening to sealsaid panel and said body being bonded to said panel adjacent said plugto prevent accidental displacement of said plug, said removable portionhaving a starting end, an opening in said removable portion adjacentsaid starting end, and said connect-or being in the form of a plugpassing through said removable portion opening and interlocked with saidremovable portion.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said removable portion opening isdefined by an internal peripheral flange and said connector has anexternal shoulder locked behind said flange.

3. The container of claim '1 wherin said removable portion opening isdefined by an internal peripheral flange and said connector has anexternal shoulder locked behind said flange, and said connector beingtubular whereby pressure within said container will expand saidconnector.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein said vent opening is defined by aninner reversely turned flange, and said tplug being wedge shaped andresiliently deformable.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein said pull tab grip portion includeslongiudinally staggered upper and lower transverse ribs, the lowertransverse rib projecting below said body and resting on said panel withsaid body being deflected away from said body to facilitate the liftingof said pull tab other end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,105,445 1/ 1938Sebell 220-27 3,049,264 8/1962 Morawski 220- 3,151,766 10/ 1964 Henchert220-54 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. G. T. HALL, AssistantExaminer.

1. IN A CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING A LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE, A PANEL HAVINGAN INTEGRAL REMOVABLE PORTION DEFINED BY WEAKENING LINES FORMED IN SAIDPANEL AND A VENT OPENING ALIGNED WITH SAID REMOVABLE PORTION FOR FIRSTVENTING THE CONTAINER AND A PULL TAB FOR FACILITATING THE REMOVAL OFSAID REMOVABLE PANEL, SAID PULL TAB BEING FORMED OF A RESILIENT PLASTICAND INCLUDING AN ELONGATED STRAP-LIKE BODY, A CONNECTOR ON SAID BODYADJACENT ONE END PERMANENTLY SECURING SAID PULL TAB TO SAID REMOVABLEPORTION, SAID BODY HAVING AT THE OTHER END THEREOF A GRIP PORTION, SAIDBODY FURTHER HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE DEPENDING PLUG PROJECTING THROUGHSAID PANEL OPENING AND ENGAGING SAID PANEL AROUND SAID OPENING TO SEALSAID PANEL AND SAID BODY BEING BONDED TO SAID PANEL ADJACENT SAID PLUGTO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PLUG, SAID REMOVABLE PORTIONHAVING A STRATING END, AND OPENING IN SAID REMOVABLE PORTION ADJACENTSAID STARTING END, AND SAID CONNECTOR BEING IN THE FORM OF A PLUGPASSING THROUGH SAID REMOVABLE PORTION OPENING AND INTERLOCKED WITH SAIDREMOVABLE PORTION.